Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz slammed GOP White House hopeful Ted Cruz over his call for law enforcement to patrol Muslim neighborhoods in the wake of the terrorist attack in Brussels.
{mosads}“Ted Cruz is a disgrace,” the Florida Democrat said in a statement. “His comments today were worse than opportunistic and inappropriate politicking in the wake of the terrible tragedy in Brussels — they were a shameful display of hate that only serves to foment anger and make the world less secure.”
On Tuesday, Cruz issued a statement calling for the U.S. to reject political correctness and to “empower law enforcement to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized.”
“This is not leadership; it is fear-mongering for political gain,” Wasserman Schultz continued. “And this is the sad state of Republican leadership today, where the hateful and divisive rhetoric of the GOP’s presidential candidates seems to reach new lows each day.
“We need to elect a commander-in-chief with the temperament and judgment to respond wisely to the threat of terrorism and global unrest, not a demagogue who defaults to militaristic escalation and racial or religious profiling.”
The Texas senator later sought to clarify his comments in another statement Tuesday.
“We know what is happening with these isolated Muslim neighborhoods in Europe,” Cruz said. “If we want to prevent it from happening here, it is going to require an empowered, visible law enforcement presence that will both identify problem spots and partner with nonradical Americans who want to protect their homes.”